Page 202 - Supreme Court

Centre gets 4 weeks from SC on plea to assess Himalaya's carrying capacity

The Supreme Court on Monday granted four more weeks to the Centre to file its response to a plea seeking assessment of the carrying capacity and master plans of the Indian Himalayan Region spanning across 13 states and union territories. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha, which had issued notices to the government on February 17, took note of the submission of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati who sought time to file the reply. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav seeking assessment of carrying capacity and master plans prepared for the Indian Himalayan Region. "Due to non-existent Carrying/Bearing Capacity studies, grave geological hazards in the form of landslides, land subsidence, land cracking and sinking issues such as that in Joshimath are being witnessed and serious ecological and environmental depredation are taking place in the hills," the petition filed through advocate advocate Akash Vashishtha ...

SC issues notice to Centre on plea filed by Delhi govt against Ordinance

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a plea filed by the Delhi government challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance on control of services. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha issued notice to the government and asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, to amend its plea and add the Lieutenant Governor as party in case. "We'll issue notice," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on July 17. In its plea, the AAP government has said it is an "unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat" that attempts to "override" the top court and the basic structure of the Constitution. Besides quashing the ordinance, the Delhi government has also sought an interim stay on it. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. The Aam Aadm

No amicable settlement between SpiceJet and Kalanithi Maran: Sun Group

Sun Group says 'no question' of that, asks airline to make full payment to in arbitral award

SC rejects plea against RBI permitting Rs 2,000 exchange without ID proof

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain an appeal challenging the Delhi High Court verdict dismissing a PIL against the RBI notification permitting exchange of Rs 2,000 currency notes without any requisition slip and ID proof, saying it is an executive policy decision. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha dismissed the appeal filed by lawyer Ashwini Updhyay in his personal capacity. This is the matter of executive policy decision, the bench said while dismissing the appeal. On May 29, the Delhi High Court dismissed the PIL challenging the notifications enabling the exchange of Rs 2,000 denomination currency notes without any requisition slip and ID proof. The high court had said the decision was taken to avoid inconvenience to citizens, and that it cannot sit as an appellate authority on a policy decision. The high court had maintained it cannot be said that the government's decision is perverse or arbitrary or it encourages black money, mone

Adani-Hindenburg case: Sebi defends rule change on offshore investors

The Supreme Court will hear the ongoing Adani-Hindenburg case on Tuesday. The regulator has until Aug. 14 to submit its report

Apex court cannot be used as platform to escalate tension in Manipur: SC

The apex court cannot be used as platform to escalate tension in Manipur, the Supreme Court on Monday said while making it clear that it cannot take the law and order apparatus in its hand to douse the violence. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said at most it can give directions to the authorities to make the situation better and for that it needs assistance of different groups and positive suggestions. "Give us some positive suggestions by Tuesday to make the situation better and we will ask the Centre and the Manipur government to look into it", the bench told different groups of Manipur before it, as it took on record the status report filed by the state chief secretary on the situation prevailing in the violence-hit state. The top court also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government, to take instructions on a circular issued in June, by which it had asked state government employees to report to duty or face a pay

SC extends Satyendar Jain's bail till July 24 in money laundering case

The Supreme Court on Monday extended till July 24 the interim bail granted to former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain on medical grounds in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. A bench of justices A S Bopanna and M M Sundresh directed senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Jain, to submit the medical reports to Additional Solicitor General S V Raju. During the brief hearing, Singhvi submitted that three hospitals have recommended surgery for Jain. The top court on May 26 had granted interim bail to Jain for six weeks on medical grounds, saying a citizen has a right to receive treatment of his choice in a private hospital at his own expense. The ED had arrested Jain on May 30 last year on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him. The agency had arrested Jain in the aftermath of a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by the trial court on

SC to hear Sisodia's bail plea in excise scam case filed by CBI, ED

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the bail pleas of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on July 14 in the excise policy scam case probed by the CBI and the money laundering matter arising out of it. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha agreed to hear the matter after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the former Delhi deputy chief minister, urged the court to take it up for hearing on grounds that his wife was seriously ill and hospitalised. The bench said although the matter is listed for hearing on July 17, it will take it up for hearing on July 14. Last week, Sisodia had moved the top court seeking bail in the CBI and ED cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. He has moved the apex court challenging the two orders of the Delhi High Court dismissing his bail petitions in these cases. Sisodia, who also held the excise portfolio among many that he handled as the deputy chief minister of Delhi, was first arrested by

The political impact of Rahul Gandhi's legal woes

Going to jail is a rite of passage for politicians, and they tend to emerge stronger if the punishment is seen to be unfair

No adverse order by SC today if lawyers absent due to rain in Delhi: CJI

CJI DY Chandrachud stated as much after considering the requests of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association

Confident of resolving issues through talks with Maran: SpiceJet official

A day after the Supreme Court refused to give more time to SpiceJet in connection with interest payment related to an arbitral award, an airline official on Saturday said it is confident of resolving through talks the issues with Kalanidhi Maran and his Kal Airways. On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to extend the time for making payment to media baron Kalanithi Maran and his Kal Airways in pursuance of an arbitral award of Rs 578 crore related to a share-transfer dispute. The case and the final order are still pending before the Delhi High Court, the official said, adding that Rs 380 crore is only the deposit amount. The official also claimed that the airline is engaged in talks with Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways for a full and final settlement of the interest amount. The airline is confident of resolving this to the satisfaction of both sides, as done successfully with many of its partners, through talks, the official said. Earlier in the case, the Delhi High Court, on June

Robust system to address gender-based misconduct imperative: SC judge

It is imperative to establish a robust mechanism to address gender-based misconduct as the creation of an inclusive environment sends the message that women in sports deserve respect and protection from discrimination and harassment, Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli said. Justice Kohli spoke at a national seminar on 'Women Empowerment through Sports' on Friday. She called for policy reforms to promote women's empowerment through sports and said such policies should establish mechanisms to address gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment in the field of sports. "While judicial pronouncements serve as guiding lights, effective policy reforms are equally essential in promoting women's empowerment through sports," she said in her inaugural speech at the event organised by the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. "These policies should examine various facets, including ensuring equal opportunities, providing financial backup and establishing mechanisms for reporting and ...

SC rejects plea on road safety issue, says can't be done in one petition

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea on the issue of road safety in the country, saying the reliefs sought are "so encompassing" that it cannot be done in one petition judicially. A bench of justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said most of the issues raised in the plea are related to Tamil Nadu, and the petitioner can approach the state high court for appropriate relief. The petitioner, a resident of the southern state, told the bench that his plea was about road safety and that more than five lakh accidents happen every year in the country. When the petitioner said one cannot get remedies in one place in road accident cases, the bench observed there has been coordinated streamlining of accident cases. About the reliefs sought in the plea, which included directions to the state to remove all illegal structures, the bench said, "You may have a good motive but they are so encompassing that this cannot be done in one petition judicially." While disposing of the plea,

SC quashes plea against HC order on petition challenging Scindia's election

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea against a Madhya Pradesh High Court order by which issues were framed in a petition challenging the election of Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in 2020. A bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice Pankaj Mithal dismissed the plea filed by Congress leader Govind Singh, who has filed the election petition against Scindia. Singh has challenged the candidature of Scindia as a returned candidate of BJP from Madhya Pradesh in the biennial election for Rajya Sabha held on June 19, 2020, on the ground that while submitting the nomination paper along with an affidavit, the BJP leader did not disclose particulars or information regarding registration of FIR against him and others at Shyamla Hills police station in Bhopal. Senior advocate Anoop George Chaudhary contended that under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the contesting candidates must disclose or furnish all .

Android case: Google, CCI appeal against NCLAT order to be heard on July 14

The court also set aside directives that would have forced the tech giant to allow individual app store developers to distribute their app store through the Google Play Store

SC says land scams persistent issue, cancels pre-arrest bail of accused

Observing that land scams have been a "persistent issue" leading to an erosion of "public trust", the Supreme Court on Friday cancelled the anticipatory bail of a person who is accused of creating fake documents to usurp land worth more than Rs 60 crore of an NRI couple. A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and C T Ravikumar set aside a May 31 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court granting anticipatory bail to a person accused of creating fake general power of attorney (GPA) in 1996 to take away the land of NRI Pratibha Manchanda and her husband in a village at Gurugram. "Land scams in India have been a persistent issue, involving fraudulent practices and illegal activities related to land acquisition, ownership, and transactions. Scammers often create fake land titles, forge sale deeds, or manipulate land records to show false ownership or an encumbrance free status," the bench said. "Organised criminal networks often plan and execute these intricate scams, exploiting ...

SC directs SpiceJet to pay entire arbitration award of Rs 380 cr to Maran

The court had made it clear in its order that if SpiceJet failed to pay, the entire award would become payable to Kal Airways and Maran

Imran Khan approaches Pak SC against Islamabad HC order in Toshakhana case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party chief and former prime minister Imran Khan has petitioned in Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court's directive to the trial court that had asked for a re-examination of the maintainability of the Toshakhana corruption case within a week. Khan, 70, was indicted in the Toshakhana corruption case on May 10 by Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who rejected objections about the admissibility of the case. Khan had challenged the admissibility of the case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which set aside the verdict of the trial court. The IHC bench had stated that the trial court had dismissed the petition of Khan on weak grounds. The bench asked the lower court to consider the petition of Khan as pending. The trial court's decision was challenged before the IHC, which remanded the case back to the former on July 4 to re-examine the matter in seven days in the light of eight legal questions to decide the maintainability o

SC dismisses Spicejet's plea seeking extension to pay dues to Maran

While dismissing the plea, the bench said that the present application is 'nothing but a delay tactic of Spicejet Ltd. to not pay money even when there are court orders directing the same'

SC refuses plea to protect sexual harassment complainants, witnesses

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to protect complainants and witnesses in sexual harassment at workplace cases from victimisation or retaliation by accused persons or organisations involved. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha noted that the top court had in 2020 refused to interfere with a similar prayer. The top court said the petitioner should give specific examples to support her case. "This court, by its order dated January 6, 2020, had not interfered with the Delhi High Court dismissing a PIL for the same prayer. The petitioner stated that she made a representation to authorities with a reminder. We leave it open to the petitioner to approach the authorities with a representation so that a decision can be taken if the grievance needs to be looked into. Let the grievance be looked at an appropriate level," the bench said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by legal professional Sunita Thawani seeking